Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-01-29
The Wreekers Conress.

Eaysss CRY. J7u.' Is The .y,rrg.fl ,.-..
NJ. }. W. Da!by' df'ision superintendent OF
the Missouri Pacific, in this city, received 4 dis
patch from Nebraska CITY. Neb.. yesterday, to
the effect that David Huffman ana James Bell
the two men under SrrrJ for vr7cl,tnc the
passenger train near Dunbar, he'd made A fun
confession of their terrible crime.
i special telegram received H- the .E,,,raaI
from Nebraska City later on con ms the mes.
sage TO Mr.. Da.by. l. says: huffman and
Bel, the men accused OF wreckinss he Missouri
Pacific passenger train 1t Dunbar and causing
the Ccati OF Engineer James De Witt.
made 4 confession st the G.and Pacific
hotri Tuesday night in he presence If Sheriff
AcCuliom and MissCu Pacific detectives. who
have been with the two aen since their arrest.
Two men who r@gIstere as G.orss Fsircl.;la
and Frank X. Tut. i,.s -as Cj-v. came 20 Sire
Grand Pacific iaIe BY .Hv eX,ti.ug ms we're
assigned 10 room, = .f7oGr Midnight SnarFT
MCCUllom auc the 54atc attorney came to he
room with Dave Huffman. who remained here
tgr a1GGr an n0ur. Bell was hen brlupht in
anu remained for an equa! length OF time
Their stories were exactly similar. although
Huffman tired 30 throw tie principal part in
the lcndish deed Oh Bell. This is not believ-
e.. 50 De the case. Is the facts already SHOW
thas
n WAS HUFFMAN WHO PLANNED THE WRECK.
There j. now no doubt Of their guilt and IL
WI re no surprise il tAey are taken IRON iaI
aua ----dily HcleI. The quart az the cOun-
iN 54.! A-s been increased anu Officials are on
u. alrr- to prevent any a-teuJ. 70 hang the
PRISONERS. Excitement is Ut LigA marx and
rEo"> 40 slGL oI abatement. Bel lives near
Jmadiild, small station on the Burlington
~ Missouri River fourteen miles from Dun
0as. Bell is renter, while Huffman was
formerly brakeman on tie Chicago BuriuE-
ton ~ Quincy but has lately been living on
a arm with his brother. near Dunbar. Bell
came 70 Dunbar last SATURDAY with 4 train
and spent his time in drinking at AIOf-
tats saloon. Huffman was his constant
companion and up to Tuesday
hight they were intoxicated most OF tie
ilmC. Iupsd va farmer named Rogers came
down 10 Dunbar from UBadiila to see about
Bells team. on which he held : cAattel mort
gage, and which he tboTght Bell was irving
o dispose OF. lie pressed Bell to satisfy the
mortgage, and Tuesday evening they nsd a
row IN MOilat SalJUG when eliminated in
the arrest Of both. They were taken before a
justice and -afa security for their appearances.
Huffman and Bel soon returned 10 the saloon,
but about ~ o'clock ther conduct became so
noisy that Cts Marshal Nelson ordered MOiTat
TO close The doors Of his saloon, which he did.
Huffman and Bell went out on 10 tie street
and soon disappeared. Then their derilish
work began. IL seems that they had Planned
for several weeks 20 wreck train
FOR TEE PURPOSE or ROBBERY.
Both OF them we're broke and the7 wanted
% leave Inc country, but could not do 50 on
account OF tleirstraiteGed circumstances. The
express Car contained in the neighbuThOOd Of
SlO.oJJ IN its safe, ana carried eighteen huge
silver bricks consigned to Kansas CITY, which
were worth lIIIy $1,000 each.
Shortly after they left Mglfats saloon they
IA r a. $50. ersaF. f,1-
Owed Il up in nOrtheriy direction. a short
distance ont of town the Burlington and Mis-
souri, River crosses the Missouri Pacific track,
and at this point the two men stopped to
break in 4 tool house and carry away .
clawbar and track wrench with
which the spikes were drawn and
the iishplstes removed. Il was clear. moon
light night. and as lie w-eckers resumed their
journey, they could see three miles OF straight
track before them. Huffman said in his con-
fession that the fish plates had been taken OF
and some uf the su.kcs drawn. when the head
light Of alucOmotive lo0med up in the distance
anu the east bound passenger came thunder
ing along with its load OF sixty human lives
Huffman and Bel threw down their tools, and
not stopping 70 carry away the plain evidence
OF their guilt scampered of into a ravine.
They heard pisialy the crash. the Kissing Of
the escaping steam and the cries of the pas
seHgers, but they stopped fer moment only.
They then ran up through acorn tield and
turning east approached the house of Huff
mans brother John Huffman. a respectable
young farmer, which w-s about $40 yards from
the point Of The wreck. Huffman had gone 10
the assistance Of the passengers, and his wife,
who had been aroused, was
STANDING NEAR THE HOUSE.
Huffman went up 20 her aud she said,
Have vOu seen the wreckin ''Non he re-
piled, with apparent sur rise and before 20
Ing TO it stopped 20 Introduce Bell and say
that they had walked from Dunbar 20 spend
the night. Huffman and Bell went out to the
wreck and offered to assist tie passengers, but
did not do so, and re.urncd 70 Huffman's
brothers. house. Here IS where their nerve
went back Oh them and both agree that they
intended to rob the express ear Of It's yalua-
bes, buJ they did not have the opportunity.
Huffman said they had no idea OF the
amount OF mone- that was on the express that
night, but they knew they would certainly get
something II they ditcbel the down passen-
yer. While they were working On the track
Bill weakened and suggested that they 20
home without tamperinE with 1t any further,
saving that several people would surely be
killed. Huffman replied. at don't make .
d-n bit of difference how many get killed.
We want the money!
Huffman and Bell stopped the remainder CT
the nighT at the house OF the formers brothers.
and were formulating plans to leave the coun-
trr ~ ease there was any suspicion aroused
pear before the coroner's jury, which began ITS
invest cation Uf the wreck at Dunbar on We'd
nesLay.
THE SURROUNDING COUNTRY
had been thoroughly aroused b. the fright
ful deed, and posses of farmers were speedily
organized and started out in every
direction. At the cOroner's inquest The
next day John Huffman testified that about
II: 20 O'Clock Tuesday night he went out TO
draw 4 bucket OF water and saw two men walk
ing on the track, one Of whom he recognized IS
his brother. Then. too, footprints were found
in the snow which c8rresDOuded exactly 10 the
shoe, of Huffman and ii-I. They were fol-
lowed from the track down into the ray ne and
through the cornheld into the house. Huff
man and Bel both testified that they had
come from Dunbar by an entirely diil.ren
r. ute and that they lied was shown hy the
tracks in the rayiue aud through the cosndeid.
sheriff McCullom arrested them shortly after
they left ,hc witaess stand, ami with Mr.. Dal-
bv Of the Missouri Pacific, brought them to
this city to preyent them from beng lynched.
Turry r-p NONST- TOO gggs